Tractor



T. C(LEAKE' Nov. 3, 1925.

' TRACTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1921 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. a, 1925.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

'rnonms c. LEAKE, OF NEW YORK. N. Y., .AssIoNon'ro BEAR macros. CORPORATION or AMERICA, or NEW YORK, N. Y.', A oonroRA'noN or DELAWARE.

TRACTOR.

Application filed October 10, 1921. Serial' No. 506,637.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. LEAKE, a citizen of the .United States, residing at New York. in the county of New York and '6 State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tractors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 1 make and use the same.

This invention relates to tractors, and more particularly to tractors which are propelled by internal combustion engines.

This invention has for its general object an improved construction and arrangement of parts which is strong mechanically and readily manufactured.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for the engine casing and the attendant housings for gears and the like whereby there is provided a unitary power generating unit.

Another object is to provide an improved support for the power generating unit.

Another object is to provide'an improved power transmission for tractors.

Still another object is to provide an improved power coupling for driving machines which are independent of the tractor, such as threshing machines, feed cutting machines, wood sawing machine, and the like. Other objects and advantages will in part be'specifically pointed out hereinafter and "in part obvious from the arrangements and a5 constructions here set forth.

I The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereo inafter set forth, andflthe scope .of their application will appear in the appended claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and advantages of this invention reference should be had to the following detailed description, which describes the best illustrative embodiments of this invention at present known to me, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in so which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation of a tractor construrted in accordance with this invention,

one track frame being removed in order more clearly to portray the relative relation. of the parts;

Fig. 2'is a horizontal plan-view of the tractor shown in Fig.1 certain parts being removed or cut and broken away in order clearly to illustrate the invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical central section showing details of the transmission crank case 11 the clutch housing 12 and the transmission gear housing 13. To this latter housing is secured the driving gear housing 14; these housings are preferably so formed that when thus secured together the desired alignment thereof will result. The housing 14 is provided with two laterally extending conical side casings 15 through .which passes the driving shaft 16 at each end of which latter is a driving pinion 17. These: driving pinions, as can be seen, are preferably disposed substantially at the apices of the conical casings 15.

The driving pinions'17 are adapted to mesh with the internal gears18 of each of rigidly secured in suitable formations, shown at 21, on the conical casin 15.

These studs 20 serve notonly as ax es on which the sprockets 19 turn'but as pivot points at which the track frames 22 are pivoted 'tothe power unit. Each sprocket 19 drives an endless chain track 23 which is carried by its track frame 22 and embraces both the driving sprocket 19 and a front idler 24 mounted on the frame. Draft mechanism for the tractor thus constructed is shown at 25.

In order better to brace the power generating unit composed of the eng ne and the the drivingsprockets 19 which are arranged to turn on studs 20. The studs 20 are rigidly attached housings a special engine frame 26 is provided. This frame consists of a generally U-sha ed element which passes about the front en of the engine, its legs beingYilightly bent outwards at their rear ends, as indicated at 26 and secured to the guard plates 27, as shown in Fig. 2 the latter being pressed over and rigidly secured to the studs 20 through hubs 27 and to the conical housings as indicated at 27 Theengine 10 is secured to the engine frame 26 at preferably only three points, as indicated in the.

drawing; here e rear end of the engine casing is secured at each side to a leg of the frame 26, as shown respectively at 28 and 28' while the front end or third point of the cluding the engine and transmission gears into engagement to provide the with the housings described and the supporting frame 26 surrounding the same and attached at its rearward divergent extremities to the guard plates 27 This power generating unit is plvoted at one end through the guard plates 27 and the studs 20 to and between the track frames 22, being also ieldingly supported thereon at its other endy the equalizer bar or cross bar 30. I

The transmission gear housing 13, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, houses the transmission gearing which is shown as comprising a power shaft 40 at the rear end of which lat-' ter is the bevel pinion 41 arranged to mesh with the bevel gear 42 in the gear housing 14 the bevel gear 42 being rigidly secured on the driving shaft 16. The shaft 40 is in alignment with the clutch driven shaft 43 driven through the clutch 44 in the housing 12. The shaft 43 has at its rear end the gear 45 which meshes with a gear 46 on the parallel shaft 47 in the housing 13.

The gearing shown is adapted to 'yield two speeds forward and a reverse drive. To

this end there is on shaft 40 a single sliding gear 48 whose internal teeth 49 are adapted to he slid into engagement with those on gear 45 when it is desired to directly couple the shafts 40 and 43 and drive the tractor at 'high speed. To provide the low forward speed, a gear 50 is secured on shaft 47 with which the sliding gear 48 may be slid into mesh. A smaller gear 51 is also secured on shaft 47 meshing with and driving the idler 52 with which the gear 48 ma reverse be slid.

drive. According to one aspect of my invention, however, any convenient form of transmission desired may be employed.

A seat is shown at 55 in-Fig. 1 conveniently secured to the housing 14 of the power unit for the chauffeur or operator of the tractor. Conveniently accessible to theoperator are disposed the controlling elements for the tractor. In such disposition there is shown the gear shifting lever 56 disposedto actuate the short lever 57 on the interior of the gear housing 13 which moves the sliding gear 48. In like manner is-also disposed the steering wheel 60 which surmounts the steering column 61 and is arranged to rotate the sector 62 for transmitting motion through link 63 or link 64 to actuate one or the other of the two steering clutches 65 which are housed respectively in the'two conical casings 15. The means here rovided are thus capable, by manipulating t e steering wheel,

of transmitting power in unequal proportions to the driving sprockets 19 so that the tractor may be made 'to follow the arc of circles and be otherwise guided; the details of the mechanism here emplo ed are shown more or less in diagrammatic ashion but are fully set forth inm copending application, Serial No. 571,308 or tractor led June 27, 1922.

In order that the tractor may be utilized when standing stationary as a power source for driving machines independent of the tractor, a ower pulley 70 is provided which is adapte to be driven b the engine 10 when properly coupled. he pulley 70, as seen in Fig. 4, is on a shaft 71 driven by bevel gears 73 and 74 in the auxiliary housing 75; the gear 74 is on the shaft 76 which is connected through the coupling sleeve 7 7 to be driven by the shaft 47 in the transmis- I sion gear housing; I

The bevel gears 73 and 74 accordingto this invention may be dispensed with but are preferable since the axis of the driving pulley 70 is thereby made parallel to the axis of the driving shaft 16 with the resultthat advantage may be taken of the tractors ability to be'driven forward or backward to impose any desired tension on the belt connection between the pulley 70 and the independent machine.

The auxiliary housing 75 in the form of m bo lted to'the housing 14 while the sleeve coupling 77 is pinned to shaft 47 by means of the pin 78, the shaft 76 being merely slid into engagement therewith. The power pulley 70 may thus be coupled and detached from the tractor by merely taking out the bolts 72 which secure the auxiliary housing 75 to the casing 14. This is of advantage inexpensive arrangement for disconnecting the power pulley 70 so that no unnecessary invention here shown is detachabl'y' since it provides a mechanically simple and gearing is driven by the engine 10 when power for driving independent machines is not wanted.

In operation, it is seen that the tractor is provided with a strong and rigid unitary power generating unit and is susceptible of manipulation by the operator seated at 55 a tractor is readily adapted to the agril cultural arts where it can be made to draw one or more of the usualagriculture in'iplelnents. the same being coupled through the draft mechanism atbut when it is desired to drive threshing machines. feed cutting machines, wood sawing machines and the like, the power pulley 70 with the auxiliary housing 75 should be bolted in lace, the tractor being disposed stationarily in a suitable place,'from whence it is belted to the independent machine.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or" shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustratlve and not ilfa limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is'intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the inventions herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Haring described my invention, what I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tractor, the combination with the engine, power clutch, transmission gears and driving gears, of separate housing casings for said engine, clutch and gears bolted together in longitudinal alignment and steering clutches having separate housing casings bolted to opposite lateral sides of said driving gear casing and extending laterally therefromand forming therewith a transverse casing ofiset rcarwardly from the rear transverse axis of the tractor, all of said casings as thus connected forming a rigld unitary power generating and power transmission element, and the engine being sup ported through its casing at three distinct points upon the main tractor frame.

2. A tractor construction includingin combination, a unitary power generating unit including an encased engine, housings for enclosing the separate parts of the ire lie transmi'ssiou' gearing driving gearm s s r 'e al gnment t1 generat-I-n is operative] v colt ecte meats tithe lactoi su pomm" the i for enclosing {the separate par .n i I gea 'fd"hol 1 s1ngs"b eing fanned sep rate imits dtogth meart -;e1'-ini 1n fefi'ect a-Qumtar (Eating innit, the d n t a r-st ly. Q 1 closiiigthe transve I a is operatively connected to the t act on .el'einents or the tractor, ari id generator 'unit supporting frame pivote to the tractor at the transverse rear axis thereof, and surrounding said generating unit, and a connection for suspending the forward end of said supporting frame upon said traction elements, the generatin unit being supported on said supporting frame at three distinct points, two of which are located at opposite sides of one of said housings, and the third of which is located on the engine casing. 1

a 4. A tractor construction including in combination, a unitary power generating unit including an encased engine, housings forenclosing the separate parts of the engine, the transmission gearing, and the driving gearing, said housings being formed as sep arate units and secured together in alignment to form in effect a unitary power generating unit,- the driving gear. housin extending transversely of the tractor an enclosing the transverse driving shaft which is operatively connected to the traction elements of the tractor, a rigid generator unit supporting frame pivoted to the tractor at the transverse rear axis thereof, and surrounding said generating unit, a connection for suspending the forward end of said supporting frame upon said traction elements, said power transmission connections including a plurality of interconnected shafts, and an auxiliary power attachment detachably connected to the unitary power element and being adapted for coupling with one of said interconnected shafts, said auxiliary power attachment including a pulley with its axis disposed parallel to the rear axis of the tractor and the 'unitar assembly of power transmitting elements eing arranged for attachment to or removal from said unitary power elements as a unit.

5. A. 'unitar power generating unit for tractors inclu ing an engine casing, gear housings arranged to house the separate parts of the, power transmitting system, said housings and engine being rigidly secured together, studs mounted on one of sa d gear housings, and abracing frame disposed about said engine and housings and having rearwardly extending legs secured to said studs. p

6. A unitary power generating unit for tractors including an engine casing, gear housings arranged to house the separate parts of the power transm tting system, said housings and engine being rigidly secured together, studs mounted on one of said gear housings, a bracing frame disposed about said engine and housings and having rearwardly extending legs secured to said studs, said bracing frame being U-sliaped with a forwardly disposed bow and said engine casing being supported on said bracing frame on pointsdisposed at opposite sides of and forwardly of said casing.

7. In tractors and the like, the combination with an encased internal combustion engine, of a transmission gear housing, a driving gear housing, all secured together to form a unitary power generating unit,

.power transmitting sliafting journaled in housing and adapted to be coupled to said power transmitt ng shaft and geared, to

drive said piilley. I

8. In a unitary power generating unit for tractors and the like, in combination, two parallel power shafts, a transverse driving.

shaft geared to one of said parallel shafts, a detachable auxiliary housinghaving a power pulley, a spur power shaft disposed at an angle of ninety degrees to the axis of said pulley, and a, connection for driving the same, said spur power shaft having a coupling adapted to effect power transmitting engagement with the other parallel shaft when the auxiliary housing is in place. v

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS C. LEAKE. 

